After Mom died, I began visiting Dad every morning before I went to work. He was frail(衰弱) and moved slowly, but he always had a glass of freshly squeezed(挤榨的) orange juice on the kitchen table for me, along with an unsigned note reading, “Drink your juice.” Such a gesture(表示), I knew, was as far as Dad had ever been able to go in expressing his love. In fact, I remember, as a kid I had questioned Mom “Why doesn’t Dad love me?” Mom frowned(皱眉), “Who said he doesn’t love you?”“Well, he never tells me,” I complained. He never tells me either,” she said, smiling. “But look how hard he works to take care of us, to buy us food and clothes, and to pay for this house. That’s how your father tells us he loves us.”
I nodded slowly. I understood in my head, but not in my heart. I still wanted my father to put his arms around me and tell me he loved me. Dad owned and operated a small scrap(小片) metal business, and after school I often hung around while he worked. Dad handfed scrap steel into a device(装置) that chopped (切)it as cleanly as a butcher(屠夫) chops a rack of ribs(肋骨). The machine looked like a giant pair of scissors(剪刀), with blades(刃) thicker than my father’s body. If he didn’t feed those terrifying blades just right, he risked serious injury. “Why don’t you hire someone to do that for you?” Mom asked Dad one night as she bent over him and rubbed(搓) his aching shoulders with a strong smelling liniment(涂剂). “Why don’t you hire a cook?” Dad asked , giving her one of his rare smiles.
Many years later, during my first daily visit, after drinking the juice my father had squeezed for me, I walked over, hugged him and said, “I love you, Dad.” From then on I did this every morning. My father never told me how he felt about my hugs, and there was never any expression on his face when I gave them.What would be the best title for the passage?
A I just couldn’t understand my father B My father never loved me
C Silent fatherly love D My hard-working fatherThe author’s father always prepared a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice for him because ______.
A that was the author’s favorite B he was sure the author would be thirsty
C the author was always complaining D that was a gesture of loveThe author’s father didn’t hire a helper because ______.
A his job was too dangerous B his job required high skills
C he wanted to save money D he was not good at communicating with othersWe may infer from the passage that ______.
A the author’s father lacked a sense of humor
B the author quite understood his father as time went on
C the author’s father didn’t love him very much
D the author’s father was too strict with him
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh(法老)treated the poor message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace, if he brought good news. However, if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news, his head was cut off.
Shades of that spirit spread over today's conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing. As we walked light-heartedly out the door, picnic basket in hand, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, "Oh boy, bad day for a picnic. The weatherman says it's going to rain."I wanted to strike him on the face with the peanut butter and sandwiches. Not for his stupid weather report, for his while
Several months ago I was racing to catch a him As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Grey hound counter, the sales agent said with a broad smile ,"Oh that bus left five minutes ago."Dreams of head-cutting!
It's not the news that makes someone angry. It's the unsympathetic attitude with which it's the unsympathetic attitude with which it's delivered. Everyone must give bad news from time to time, and winning professionals do it with the proper attitude. A doctor advising a patient that she needs an operation does it in a caring way. A boss informing an employee he didn't get the job takes on a sympathetic tone. Big winners know, when delivering any bad news, they should share the feeling of the receiver.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this. When you're tired from a long flight, has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn't ready yet? When you had your heart set on the toast beef, has your waiter mainly told you that he just served the last piece? It makes you as traveler or diner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.
Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy, I would have appreciated his warming .Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left, I probably would have said, " Oh, that's all right I'll catch the next one." Big winners, when they bear bad news ,deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded(被轰炸的)person is sure to have.
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In Paragraph 1,the writer tells the story of the pharaoh to.
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In the writer's opinion, his neighbor was.
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From "Dreams of head-cutting!"(Paragraph3),we learn that the writer.
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What is the main idea of the text?
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Plants can’t communicate by moving or making sounds, as most animals do. Instead, plants Produce volatile compounds, chemicals that easily change from a liquid to a gas. A flower’s sweet smell, for example, comes from volatile compounds that the plant produces to attract insects such as Bugs and bees.
Plants can also detect volatile compounds produced by other plants. A tree under attack by Hungry insets, for instance, may give off volatile compounds that let other trees know about the Attack. In response, the other trees may send off chemicals to keep the bugs away ——or even Chemicals that attract the bugs’ natural enemies.
Now scientists have created a quick way to understand what plants are saying: a chemical Sensor(传感器)called an electronic nose. The “e-nose” can tell compounds that crop plants make When they’re attacked Scientists say the e-nose could help quickly detect whether plants are being Eaten by insects. But today the only way to detect such insects is to visually inspect individual Plants. This is a challenging task for managers of greenhouses, enclosed gardens than can house Thousands of plants.
The research team worked with an e-nose than recognizes volatile compounds. Inside the device, 13 sensors chemically react with volatile compounds Based on these interactions, the e-nose gives off electronic signals that the scientists analyze using computer software.
To test the nose, the team presented it with healthy leaves from cucumber, pepper and tomato plants, all common greenhouse crops. Then scientists collected samples of air around damaged leaves from each type of crop, These plants had been damaged by insects, or by scientists who made holes in the leaves with a hole punch(打孔器). The e-nose, it turns out, could identify healthy cucumber, pepper and tomato plants based on The volatile compounds they produce, It could also identify tomato leaves that had been damaged. But even more impressive, the device could tell which type of damage ---- by insects or with a hole Punch ---- had been done to the tomato leaves.
With some fine-tuning, a device like the e-nose could one day be used in greenhouses to quickly spot harmful bugs, the researchers say. A device like this could also be used to identify fruits that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick and eat, says Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. who studies smells of flowers and plants. Hopefully, scientists believe, the device could bring large benefits to greenhouse managers in the near future.We learn from the text that plants communicate with each other by____.
A.making some sounds | B.waving their leaves |
C.producing some chemicals | D.sending out electronic signals |
What did the scientists do to find out if the e-nose worked?
A.They presented it with all common crops. |
B.They fixed 13 sensors inside the device. |
C.They collected different damaged leaves. |
D.They made tests on damaged and healthy leaves. |
According to the writer, the most amazing thing about the e-nose is that it can___.
A.pick out ripe fruits |
B.spot the insects quickly |
C.distinguish different damages to the leaves |
D.recognize unhealthy tomato leaves |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the e-nose_____.
A.is unable to tell the smell of flowers |
B.is not yet used in greenhouses |
C.is designed by scientists at Purdue |
D.is helpful in killing harmful insects |
Below are same classified ads from an English newspaper.
Classified ads FOR DORECT CLASSIFIED SERVICE CALL 800-0557 10 A.M.-4P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY |
||
FOR SALE ——————————— COME to our moving sale- Plants, pottery, books, clothes, etc.Sat,Dec.14th---9a.m.-5p.m. 1612 Femdale,Apt.1,800-4696 USED FUR COATS and JACKETS ,Good condition $30-$50.Call 800-0436 after 12 noon. MOVING; Must sell.TV21”, $50; AM/FM radio A/C or battery, $15; cassette tape recorder, $10.Call Jon or Pat, 800-0739 after 5p.m. or Weekends. SHEEPSKIN COAT: man’s size 42, 1year old. $85 after 6 p.m., 800-5224. LOST AND FOUND ——————————— FOUND; Cat, 6 months old, black and white markings. Found near Linden and South U. Steve.800-4661. LOST; Gold wire rim glasses In brown case. Campus area. Reward. Call Gregg 800-9662, FOUND: Nov.8th-----A black and white puppy in Packard-Jewett area 800-5770. |
PERSONAL ———————————— OVERSEAS JOBS—Australia, Europe, S. America, Africa. Students all professions and occupation, $700 to $3000 monthly. Expenses paid, overtime sightseeing. Free information at STUDENTS’ UNION. THE INTERNATIONAL ———————————— CENTER plans to publish a booklet of student travel adventures . If you’d like to write about your foreign experiences, unusual or just plain interesting, call us (800-9310) and ask for Mike or Janet. UNSURE WHAT TO DO? Life-Planning Workshop. Dec. 13th-15th. Bob and Margaret Atwood, 800-0046. ROOMMATES ———————————— FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED: Own room near- campus. Available December 1# . Rent $300 per month until March 1#. $450 thereafter. Call Jill for details, 800-7839. NEED PERSON to assume lease for own bedroom in apt. near campus, $380/mo.starting Jan. 1# Call 800-6157 after 5 p.m. |
DOMESTIC SERVICE ———————————— EARLY HOUR WAKE-UP SERVICE: For prompt, courteous wake-up service, call 800-0760. HELP WANTED ———————————— BABYSITTER—MY HOME If you are available a few hours during the day, and some evening to care for 2 school-age children, please call Gayle Moore, days 800-1111, evening and weekends 800-4964. PERSONS WANTED for Delivery work Own Transportation Good pay Apply 2311 E. Stadium. Office 101, after 9a.m. TELEPHONE RECEPTION- IST WANTED. NO experience Necessary Good pay. Apply 2311 E. Stadium. office 101, after 9a.m. WAITRESS WANTED: 10a.m.-2p.m.or 10:30 a.m.- 5p.m. Apply inperson,2075 Main. Curtis Restaurant. HELP WANTED for house Cleaning 1/2 day on weekends When—to be discussed for mutual convenience. Good wages. Sylvan Street. Call 800-2817. |
Where will you post a notice if you need someone to look after your children?
A. PERSONAL. B. HELP WANTED.
C. DOMMESTIC SERVICE. D. ROOMMATES.A second-hand jacket will probably cost you________.
A.$60 | B.$40 | C.$20 | D.$10 |
To have your travel notes published, you may contact_________.
A.Students’ Union | B.Gayle Moore |
C.The International Center | D.Life-Planning Workshop |
If you want to have someone wake you up in the morning, you may call_________.
A.800-5224 | B.800-5770 |
C.800-7839 | D.800-0760 |
I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn't be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile -warm and reassuring-and I returned her gift by smiling back.
"Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers," she said.
"Yes, she's special," I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out.
"It's only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she's 'the one'. Jokingly, I added, "The only problem is that I can't figure out why she'd want to date a guy like me."
"Well, I think she's very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her," the woman said." "My husband used to bring me flowers every week -even when times were tough and we didn't have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and - of course - I miss him since he's passed away."
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, "You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady." I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. "You have a wonderful evening," I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her -that was the night that I won her heart.
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Why was the writer in a hurry that day?
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What does the underlined phrase "her gift"(Paragraph 2) refer to?
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Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
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What is the message conveyed in the story?
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请阅读下列文章和相关信息,并按要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
下面是几则寓言小故事:An ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. The ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood under the tree, aiming at the dove. The ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In pain the birdcatcher shouted, and the noise made the dove take wing.
Two men were travelling together, when a bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and hid himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and pretended to be dead as much as he could. The bear soon left him, for he will not touch a dead body. When he disappeared, the other traveller descended from the tree, and asked his friend what it was the bear had whispered in his ear. “He gave me this advice,” his companion replied. “Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.”
A prince had some monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally good at learning, they showed themselves excellent pupils, and in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. Their performance was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end in the laughter and ridicule of the audience.
A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he noticed something shining in the straw. "Ho! ho!" said he, "that’s for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. It turned out to be a pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard. “You may be a treasure,” signed the cock, “to man, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn.”
An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a bunch of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son tried hard, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. “Untie it,” said the father, “and each of you take a stick.” When they had done so, he called out to them: “Now, break,” and each stick was easily broken.
请阅读下面的故事寓意,然后匹配与之对应的小故事。
A.Not everything you see is what it appears to be. |
B.One man’s pleasure may be another’s pain. / One man’s meat is another’s poison, |
C.Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. |
D.One good turn deserves another. |
E. Union gives strength.
F. Precious things are for those that can prize them.